For those who live in the midwest or far from the ocean, a beach vacation is not always doable. The Great Lakes are an opportunity to experience a beach setting without going too far. Although the waves aren’t the same and the water is freshwater, not saltwater, lying in the sun with a view of a lake so big you can’t see the other side, is enough to convince you that you are at the beach.
Erie is a city in northwestern Pennsylvania and is a tiny part of the state that is located on Lake Erie. Huge industrial factories and commercial fishing used to be the driving point of the city, but with factories moving elsewhere and lack of regulations causing the fish population to dwindle, tourism has become the main attraction.
Presque Isle State Park is a peninsula that extends into the lake and has beautiful beaches all around. Bike and boat rentals also line the boardwalk and with great views of the Erie Bay on one side and the vast blue lake on the other, the views never get boring.
The big lighthouse on the peninsula tells the story of the families who held this isolated job to keep boats safe in the harbor and of a time when water was the most efficient mode of transportation. The Erie Maritime Museum explains the history of shipbuilding and the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.
